Idaho high court says defamation can be implied

The Idaho Supreme Court says individuals have the right to sue if they think someone implied – but didn’t outright say – something defamatory.

The ruling was handed down Monday in a lawsuit brought by former teacher James Verity against USA Today; Boise television station KTVB; KGW television in Portland, Oregon, and others in the news industry after the organizations reported on a national investigation that showed teachers who lost teaching licenses in one state were often able to move to another state to be licensed there.

James Verity was included in the story. He lost his Oregon teaching license after he was disciplined for having inappropriate sexual contact with an 18-year-old student; Verity was later able to obtain a teaching license in Idaho.